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In his room, Sato paced back and forth in the hall, his expression serious as he seemed to be deep in thought.
"It seems things aren't as simple as they seem. If that's the case, I'll just have to bear with it for now.
But what could possibly make Hans and the others suddenly change their attitude toward me? Why is that? Who is this person, really?"
Hans's sudden shift in demeanor had put Sato on high alert, especially after he had Ditto transform into Zubat, discreetly relaying a message that heightened Sato's sense of unease.
Clearly, to Hans and the others in the Poseidon faction, the one who had attacked him was more valuable than Sato himself.
Lacking crucial information, he couldn't reach a satisfying conclusion no matter how he analyzed it.
Eventually, he reclined on the sofa and closed his eyes to rest.
"Could it be that last night's Gyarados attack wasn't an accident? That's right—this ship belongs to Team Rocket, and its management is all Team Rocket personnel. It's unlikely that such a basic error as a navigation mistake would occur."
"Maybe there's something very valuable on board, enough to make some people take risks using outside forces. That person who attacked me is likely one of the members who orchestrated the Gyarados attack. Hans and the others probably don't want an outsider like me interfering with their plans."
As Sato looked out at the moonlit sea, watching a Magikarp suddenly jump out of the water, an idea flashed in his mind. He felt like he had grasped an important clue and quickly formed a hypothesis.
However, Sato knew that even if his guess was mostly correct, it didn't change his rather awkward position.
Although he'd been unintentionally caught up in this, it was clear he had lost the chance to pursue the attacker further.
"No, I still have a chance to find that person. It's just going to be much harder now. If I keep chasing after them, it won't be as simple as just a warning. I'll end up taking them out myself. Being taken out by one of my own—now that's ironic."
Imagining that his hypothesis was true, Sato continued analyzing based on this assumption and his own goals, quickly arriving at an outcome he couldn't help but find a bit ironic.
"Sigh…power matters more than anything. If only I were stronger."
Sato sighed, rising from the sofa. He moved to the window, gazing out at the nighttime seascape, a look of intense frustration in his eyes.
Time passed, and the next day's sun rose on schedule. Sato was already up early, standing at the bow of the deck, watching the sun gradually rise from the horizon.
In his hands, he held a large bucket filled with small fish, their numbers creating a strong, pungent fishy smell—especially since many of the small fish were already dead.
Attracted by the strong scent, some early-rising creatures of the sea began to appear near Sato, though they kept their distance due to the intimidating presence of his Golbat.
When Sato, wearing rubber gloves, started tossing a few small fish from the bucket into the sea, some quick-witted creatures darted forward like arrows, snatching the small fish mid-air before they could hit the water.
"Come on, don't be shy. These fish are just for you," Sato said with a smile as he watched the hungry Wingulls eagerly devouring the fish he tossed out.
He grabbed another handful from the bucket, throwing them out with a grin.
Since there was a precedent, and with Sato's words encouraging them, the nearby Wingulls, who had initially been observing from a distance, eagerly flew over to compete for food.
Just having woken up in the morning, their stomachs were growling, and a free breakfast was a welcome treat.
As Sato continued tossing small fish into the sea, more and more Wingulls gathered around him. Soon, a few Pelippers appeared amidst the flock of seagulls near him, drawn by the commotion.
These nearby Wingulls and Pelippers were grateful to Sato, their free breakfast provider, so they showed no hostility toward him or his Golbat despite the crowd increasing.
Some young, naive Wingulls even landed right by Sato's side, catching the attention of sailors and early-rising passengers nearby.
"Finding a good Pokémon really isn't easy. After scouting over a hundred Wingulls, only a few had the Hydration ability and those that did barely had any inherited moves," Sato thought with a faint sigh, though his smile didn't waver as he looked at the empty bucket and the seagulls resting beside him, satisfied from their meal.
Sato hadn't come to the deck at dawn to play the role of a seagull enthusiast. His goal was to attract these hungry, early-rising Wingulls and use his system's scanning ability to find an ideal Wingull.
However, the Drizzle ability seemed too rare; the vast majority of Wingulls had Keen Eye instead. Those with Hydration were as rare as Wingulls with hidden abilities—a one or two percent chance at best.
Among the Hydration Wingulls, only two had the traits Sato wanted. These two had impressive growth, good inherited moves, and excellent potential.
But there was a problem: both Wingulls had guardians—no, rather, they each had a high-level Pelipper protecting them. Judging by how the other Wingulls were feeding these Pelippers small fish, these two held high status in the flock.
If Sato made a sudden move, he might be swarmed by the Wingulls.
However, Sato wasn't in a rush. With six Pokémon in his team already, he needed to be selective about adding more.
As the bucket beside Sato emptied and more strangers began appearing on the deck, the flock of Wingulls quickly began dispersing.
Soon, the scene of Wingulls gathered on the bow faded, and Sato prepared to leave, bucket in hand.
"Hello, I'm Eileen. Are you Mr. Sato?"
A pleasant voice spoke from behind just as he picked up his bucket.
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